Accra, Ghana
August 17, 2005
Wagdy Sawahel,
SciDev.Net
Ghana's
Ministry of the Environment and Science issued draft biosafety
legislation yesterday (16 August), intended to protect the
country's citizens and environment from the potentially damaging
effects of genetically modified (GM) organisms.
The
implication is that the government is open to allowing GM
products in the country. Yet this is in direct contrast to
comments made less than a month ago by the country's food and
agriculture minister.
Ernest Debrah
was quoted in the media saying that the government had resolved
to oppose GM food.
GM experts in
Ghana say he was misquoted.
According to
the 28 July issue of the Ghanaian Chronicle online, Debrah said
in Accra on 23 July that "the country would reject, without
hesitation, the importation of any genetically modified (GM)
food, crops and materials [even though] it might solve the
famine problems being experienced, especially in the Northern
part."
Speaking to
SciDev.Net, Konadu Acheampong, programme and administrative
officer at the Institute for Natural Resources in Africa, a
branch of the United Nations University, said that Debrah's
words were taken out of context.
"We are
already developing GM crops in [Ghana],"
he added.
Owusu Bennoah,
director-general of the Council for Scientific and Industrial
Research agrees that the press exaggerated the story.
Bennoah told SciDev.Net that
Debrah said only that he did not "feel comfortable with GM
maize" and this was in reply to the question "would you allow GM
maize to enter Ghana?"
He added that
the use of modern agricultural biotechnology should be promoted
in Ghana to increase food production. This, he said, would
improve food security and nutrition as well as raise the quality
of life for rural people and increase their incomes.
Bennoah said
scientists are still discussing the risks that biotechnology
might present for human health and the environment. "It is our
job as scientists to explain [the scientific debate] to
policymakers and politicians," he said. "This is what we are
doing."
A
biotechnology expert at the food and agriculture ministry who
did not want to be named told SciDev.Net that Ghana should not
reject GM food outright. Instead, it should adopt national
biosafety rules to address the potential risks associated with
GM, making sure it strengthens its capacity to implement these
regulations.
If the
Ghanaian cabinet approves the environment ministry's biosafety
legislation, it will go to parliament for ratification. The next
parliamentary session begins in October.
Accra, Ghana
August 18, 2005
Ghana strongly
favours GM crops
Source: GhanaWeb
Mr Ernest Debrah, Minister of
Food and Agriculture, on Thursday said Ghana had not taken any
strong stand against the importation and cultivation of
genetically modified crops, but was rather strongly in favour of
it.
He said with he National
Bio-Safety Framework and its other nine accompanying
instruments, which had just been launched, "we have now met the
accessions of the Cartagena Protocol, which was signed in May
2003 affirming our position for the safe use, handling and
transportation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) that
might find their way to Ghana."
Speaking to the Ghana News
Agency in Accra on the nation's position on Genetically Modified
Crops, the Minister said the Ministry was working vigorously on
the passage of the bio-safety bill to show the country's
preparedness and commitment to ensure the safe use, handling and
transfer of GMOs in Ghana.
He stressed that Ghana's
position on the issue of GMOs was strictly based on the
precautionary principle and that every effort would be made to
ensure the safety in the use of GMOs.
The Categena Protocol states:
"Parties shall ensure that the development, handling, transport,
use, transfer and release of any living modified organisms are
undertaken in a manner that prevents or reduces the risks to
biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human
health."
Mr Debrah said all Genetically
Modified Crops imported or cultivated locally would pass through
vigorous inspections to conform to the country's regulations and
standards to ensure their safety for both living organisms and
the environment.
He said Ghana and its neighbours continued to exchange planting
materials and it was, therefore, prudent for the country to put
in place all the necessary precautions and mechanisms to
formally standardise the usage of GMOs, hence, the framework and
the pending bill.
Ghana, the first in Africa and the 10th in the world to
accomplish the task of developing a National Bio-safety
Framework under the United Nations Environment Programme and the
Global Environment Facility (GEF) had proved its ability to
ensure sustained use of modern biotechnology products and
processes, the Agriculture Minister said. |
